E-Learning Day

A: The Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) established the Virtual Option for Inclement Weather (known informally as eLearning Days) in 2014 as a response to schools who had the ability to provide high-quality instruction electronically in the event of severe weather that would normally require a school day to be cancelled. Provided that a school can meet several assurances, the IDOE will grant the school the ability to provide instruction to students virtually and to count the day as a regular school day. IDOE requires that all activities on an eLearning Day take place as if a regular school day was occurring and all students have access to any individual accommodations or supports as needed.

Q: Why is Franklin Community Schools utilizing eLearning Days?

A: Due to changes in how IDOE allows schools to make assurances that learning can occur, a committee of teachers and administrators studying eLearning Days felt that we could effectively meet the state requirements. Occasionally FCS has days missed due to inclement weather. This will allow us to avoid using our built-in snow days at the end of the school year. This will also give our students an opportunity to continue learning without interruptions.

Q: How will my child access their materials on an eLearning Day?

A: For students in grades Kindergarten through 12th grade, we will be utilizing Google Classroom to post student assignments, facilitate discussions, and submit work. All students are given a district-issued Google Classroom account to access materials and assignments.

Q: When is a student’s work due?

A: The expectation is that work should be turned in five school days after an eLearning Day.

Q: What if my child does not have internet access during an eLearning Day?

A: We understand that not all students have access to a device and/or the internet during the day due to individual situations, such as loss of internet due to inclement weather, child daycare, multiple students at home with a single computer, parent availability during the workday, no internet provider at home, etc. Because of this, students will have five school days to complete any assigned eLearning Day tasks and assignments and turn in the work.

Q: How do I or my student contact my child’s teacher on an eLearning Day?

A: All teachers are required to post the agenda for eLearning Days by 9:00 a.m. and will be available from 9:00 a.m. until the end of the regular school day by email or whatever method your teacher uses to regularly communicate with you. Teachers will be responsible for letting parents and students know of their availability during the eLearning Day and the method by how they can be contacted (email, REMIND, ClassDojo, etc.).

Q: Who do I contact if I need help during the eLearning Day?

A: Your child’s teacher(s) will be your direct contact for any questions regarding assignments, instruction, or technical support. A document to assist parents/students with logging into Google Classroom is on the FCS eLearning Day website. www.franklinschools.org/elearning.

Q: What kinds of activities will my child be doing on an eLearning Day?

A: The expectation from the IDOE is that instruction will continue in the same progression as it would on a regular school day. Thus, depending on the content being covered that day, students may be given information on a topic, assigned activities to practice as a skill, collaborate with partners on a project, or given an assessment to evaluate learning.

Q: How can I prepare my child to be successful on an eLearning Day?

A: Most of our classes are already utilizing Google Classroom as part of their regular instruction. We also encourage parents to go through the process with their students at home so that they, too, know how to get support and access materials on an eLearning Day. For younger students, we suggest keeping login information (Chromebook/Lab username and password) at home and practice accessing your teacher’s Google Classroom well in advance of potential inclement weather to eliminate confusion on an actual eLearning Day.

Q: My student logged in, but still can’t access their Google Classrooms. What should I do?

A: If this occurs and you are using Google Chrome, be sure that you are completely logged out of any personal accounts. If your student is not using their Chromebook, there should be an icon next to the icons in the upper right-hand corner of your browser. By clicking the profile icon, you should be able to log out of any personal accounts that may be signed in. Then have your student login again.

Q: Who do I contact if I have further questions about eLearning Days that are not answered here?

A: We encourage you to contact your child’s teacher to learn more about their specific plans for supporting learning on an eLearning Day. You may also visit www.franklinschools.org/elearning.